There's a BJJ black belt and law enforcement trainer here who has libre in his style field. Can't remember his name though.

Well to be fair, the first countermove in those examples usually seems to be an entry that prohibits them from attacking further (like when he steps underneath and attacks, he's trapping the weapon arm between his shoulder and arm, as well as stepping to the outside and stepping too close), and while that's happening he's also throwing an attack that's likely to stun for a moment at least.

Yeah, knife sparring in any style tends to have that. I'm just glad to see them sparring, and a lot of the knife sparring you see out there is 99% hand tag.

Knive vs knife with 2 committed attackers is a dicey proposition no matter what system they use, so inflicting the most trauma the fastest and taking every opportunity without hesitation seems key. They seem to train this way. At 1:33 we see some dudes sparring, and when one loses his knife and goes after it, the other guy immediately starts stabbing him in the back. Although very straightforward, that's a reaction a lot of people don't have with or without training. Many would hesitate, and/or let them pick up their knife before continuing.

The tricky part is that if you knife spar totally defensively and your partner does too, what you end up with doesn't really look like reality, and you probably won't be comfortable with that close continuous pressure that they use here, so your hand tag skills may be wasted.

You might note that in a boxing match, someone may take a good punch 5 seconds into the fight. So, you might conclude that boxing is useless, but it would be kinda silly to say that.

I think you make a valid point. The only thing I'd say is that to learn how to defend against a weapon attack, you have to "die" lots and lots of times in training. So, by constantly dying, they're actually following the right training methodology in that way, even if their technique is incorrect. If they keep sparring, and finding ways to link drilling and sparring together, they'll likely evolve and come out on top.

I have been training with Scott Babb (the founder of Libre) for a year. I have been looking for a more modern edged weapons system to integrate in my training. I found it in Libre.
Here are a few of the principles of Libre:
1) Libre is about attacking. It’s not about countering or trying to move around an opponent’s defense — It is about tearing through the opponents defense.

2) Strategy in Libre involves reading an opponent’s stance, guard, and position and exploiting it. The practitioner also utilizes footwork, feints, and line-of-sight to break through the opponents defense.

3) Defense in Libre comes through utilizing footwork to control distance, evade, bait, and offset the opponent. Blocks and/or parries are rarely used.

4) Libre isn’t about “dueling”; it is about “fighting”. Libre doesn’t try to pick an opponent apart; it is intended to rip them apart in the fastest and most violent ways at the practitioner’s disposal. That is where the term “Libre Fighting” comes from. It isn’t a traditional martial art, it isn’t a “system” or “style”. It is, at its root, simply “fighting.”

5) Libre doesn’t limit itself to “techniques.” We study ways to use anything around to our advantage. This includes using ones clothing, or the opponent’s clothing, to blind, choke, or distract the opponent. Using whatever is within reach as a projectile. Spitting, biting, pinching, hair pulling, and head butting. Smashing the opponent’s skull into a wall, curb, or table. Libre practitioners learn to improvise to prevail.

6) Libre is not geared towards the use of heavier agricultural blades. It is geared towards the use of a common folding knife that one might carry on the street. That is why heavy emphasis is placed on reinforced slashes and attacking ONLY vital or crippling areas. The smaller “street blade” simply is not capable of causing tremendous amounts of damage as easily as a heavy agricultural blade. That is why no superfluous cuts or stabs are used. Every strike with the “street blade” must do as much damage as possible.

7) Libre is meant to grow. It is meant to complement whatever style of fighting the user carries. Libre should ultimately mold to the individual, the individual should not mold to Libre. Practitioners are encouraged to make Libre their own, to use what they have in conjunction with Libre.
This system integrates perfectly in to any type of fighting style you come from, and it a grate complement to any type of weapons retention type situation you may find yourself in. I live and work down in Mexico in the law enforcement field, this type of training is a great thing to know.

Scott has a book wrote about his life in the Martial arts and talks extensively about the bull **** artist out there, it’s a great book and I recommend it highly. It’s called “Finding Libre”

4) Libre isn’t about “dueling”; it is about “fighting”. Libre doesn’t try to pick an opponent apart; it is intended to rip them apart in the fastest and most violent ways at the practitioner’s disposal. That is where the term “Libre Fighting” comes from. It isn’t a traditional martial art, it isn’t a “system” or “style”. It is, at its root, simply “fighting.”

5) Libre doesn’t limit itself to “techniques.” We study ways to use anything around to our advantage. This includes using ones clothing, or the opponent’s clothing, to blind, choke, or distract the opponent. Using whatever is within reach as a projectile. Spitting, biting, pinching, hair pulling, and head butting. Smashing the opponent’s skull into a wall, curb, or table. Libre practitioners learn to improvise to prevail.

How do you train this? In sparing are you encouraged to bite, pull hair, skull smash, etc? If so is the waiver you sign before training as long as Homers Illiad?

How do you train this? In sparing are you encouraged to bite, pull hair, skull smash, etc? If so is the waiver you sign before training as long as Homers Illiad?

There are a lot of bumps and bruises after a good blender section (the blender is what we call the sparring sessions in confined spaces), the class are not at all what you would expect if you come from a traditional martial arts background.
We are encouraged to wear the type of clothing we regular were to class to keep it real, and even when training in a specific technique, we will keep our partners honest in there execution.

Damn I have been away from Bullshido for a while....Libre is a good system for sure and anybody that is in the San Diego area I suggest you go check out yourself. I am in Indio area near Palm Springs so you can stop by anytime.